Improvement in weeding-hook



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THOMAS J. SECOR AND CHARLES E. SHUMWAY, 0F PHELPS, NEW YORK Letters Patent No. 96,625, dated November 9, 1869; antedated Octobre/1- 26, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN WEEDING- HOO The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, THOMAS J. SECOR and CHARLES E. SHUMWAY, of Phelps, in the county of Ontario, and State of New York, have invented an Improied Weeding-Hook; and we do hereby declare thatv the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference heilig had to the accompanying drawing, making part ot this specilimttion- Figure 1 being a top view of the instrument.

Figure 2, a side of the same.

Like letters designatecorresponding parts in both figures.

The instrument is composed of a number of slender curved tines, A B C D E, inserted in a handle, G, formed and arranged substantially as follows:

Each tine, at'ter extending forward to the proper length, is bent downward at nearly right angles, and terminates in a point more or less sharp. They all extend downward nearly alike, and they are spread apart so as to be at a proper and nearly uniform distance from cach other, about as represented, the instrument being shown of nearly full size. l

The principal pecnliarity consists in the relative arrangement ot' the points or (.lowmvardly-projecting portions oi' the tines, substantially thus:

The middle tine, A, extends the farthest forward of all; the next' two, B D, respectively on each side, are further hack. about in the position shown; and the next two, C E, in order, are still. further back, so that on one side the prongs A C are nearly in line, and on the other side, the prongs A D E are also nearly inline. But it is to be understood that we do not limit our invention to ivegfpiongs; there might be only three, like the forward three, A B D, arranged in the triangular position shown; or there might be seven, or other convenient number, all having the same general order, namely, arranged in lines corresponding with two sides ot' a triangle. A

The manner of using the instrument thus constructed, remains to be described.

When a person is weeding on the right sirle of a row or drill ot' young plants, he cants the instrument somewhat to the right, with the points obliquely to the plants, which brings only the right-hand line of tines A B C into action, the others being out of the ground. Then, in weeding on the left side ofthe row,l or drill, he cants the instrument to 'the left, and, in i similar manner, brings the left-hand line of tines A D E into action, the other tines heilig ont of the ground.

He can, if he desires, shit't -hands as he works on the different sides of the row or drill.

Finally, in weeding across the row or drill, between the plants, he simply tps the instrument forward, wit-h the hamlle'raised, thus bringing' only the forward tine, A, into action.

The whole operation is obvious from this description.

With this instrument, a; person can weed much faster than with any other instrument in use.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, as a new article of manufacure, is-

The herein-described weeding-hook, havingits points arranged in lines forming two sides ot' a triangle, as specified.

The above specification of our improved weedinghooksigncd by us, this 3d day ot February, 1869.

THOMAS J. SEGOB. CHARLES E. .SHUh/IWAY. \Vitnesses WVM. H. FINCH, 1.Dn S. Hennen. 

